Acts 2:2-4 (ESV) ~ And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

There was the Spirit’s infilling…

Notice the word “suddenly.” The Holy Spirit came suddenly, abruptly, unexpectedly, the kind of abrupt happening that jolts and startles a person. God was dramatizing the supernatural and precious significance of the event.

There was a mighty sound that filled the room.

The sound was from heave, that is, from God. It came from God’s activity, not from the activity of natural causes upon earth. It was supernatural.

It was of a rushing mighty wind. It was not wind, but a sound like the deafening roar or blast of a strong wind.

The sound filled all the house, that is, it was localized upon the house where they were sitting. Why?

First, the people need to be startled and alarmed, attracted to gather from all over the place to see what was happening. An audience needed to gather from the first preaching of the gospel.

Second, the mighty power of the Spirit needed to be dramatized for the disciples. They needed strong confidence instilled within them in order to stand and preach the gospel before the very persons who had crucified the Lord and was after them.

Third, the disciples would learn how Christ wanted them to preach the gospel. The presence of the Holy Spirit upon them would either bring people flocking from all over, asking what had happened, or lead them to the people whom they were to reach.

There was the appearance of cloven tongues. The idea is that a single tongue appeared and then began to split and divide itself, resting upon each of the disciples.

The tongues were not fire, but like fire; that is, they only looked like fire. They were a brilliant, fire-like substance created by God to dramatize the moment of the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples.

The tongue of fire that first appeared symbolized the presence of the Holy Spirit which was to dwell in the midst of God’s people as a whole.

Note also that the Spirit appeared in the form of a tongue of fire. The tongue symbolizes the instrument of speaking and preaching and sharing the gospel. The Holy Spirit was to be the burning power of the tongue, of the convicting message to be proclaimed.

A critical point is often ignored and neglected. The command to be filled with the Spirit is still God’s command to every believer, both individually and corporately (the church).

Ephesians 5:18 (ESV) ~ … be filled with the Spirit,

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV) ~ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

The disciples were given the gifts of the Spirit to carry on the work of the ministry upon earth. This fact is not mentioned here, although it is certainly to be demonstrated in the preaching and witnessing about to take place. The giving of the Spirit’s gifts is covered in Ephesians.

Ephesians 4:8, 11-12 (ESV) ~ Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” … And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ

Pastor Andy Lambert

{pastorandy@cvcog.church}

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The Holy Spirit Falls Acts 10:44-48 (ESV) ~ “While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the…

Pentecost ~ A Time of Unity Acts 1:14 (ESV) ~ All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. Acts 2:1 (ESV) ~ When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. Being in one…

Acts 1:14 (ESV) ~ All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Acts 2:1 (ESV) ~ When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.

Being in one accord, means having the same mind, spirit, oneness of heart. It means to be one in spirit and purpose. All 120 of the believers in the upper room were of the same spirit, same mind, same purpose. The idea is they were after the same thing, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They were focusing and concentrating their thoughts and energy upon seeking the face of God, the promise of God, the Holy Spirit.

What does being in one accord mean? It means …

One accord in prayer (Acts 1:14; Acts 2:24)

One accord in one place (Acts 2:1)

One accord in worship (Acts 2:46; Acts 5:12)

One accord in obedience (Acts 8:6)

One accord in the business of the church (Acts 15:25)

One accord in glorifying God (Romans 15:6)

If we want The Climate of Pentecost, we must have one accord and be in unity in the church today. We do not need division. One the day of Pentecost, “they were all with one accord in one place,” they were in unity. There were over 500 that heard the directive that Jesus gave, however, only 120 assembled and tarried to receive the Holy Spirit.

Now note the providence of God, how the events were fulfilled in the coming of the Holy Spirit:

When “Pentecost was fully come” the first fruits were born – the church itself and the first harvest of souls. The new beginning, that is, the filling of the Holy Spirit, began fifty days after Jesus’ death and resurrection.

The coming of the Holy Spirit had a very specific purpose. The Holy Spirit was to live and work within the heart of man, to deliver and free from the enslavements of this world – from sin and death. The Holy Spirit came to set man at liberty even as God had delivered the Jews out of Egyptian slavery.

The coming of the Holy Spirit was two things:

It was the birth of the church, the new people of God. People who truly came to God were now to be sealed and known by the presence of the Holy Spirit, by His very presence within their hearts and lives.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (ESV) ~ And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV) ~ In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

It was the institution of the new law, the new rule and principle of God. Man is now to be guided by the Spirit who empowers him to live right and to serve God.

John 14:26 (ESV) ~ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Romans 8:14 (ESV) ~ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV) ~ The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

It is time for us to return to the “Upper Room” for another outpouring of the Holy Spirit and live in the climate of Holy Ghost Revival.

Pastor Andy Lambert

{pastorandy@cvcog.church}

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1 Corinthians 12:1-6 (ESV) ~ “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of…

James 5:15-18 (ESV) ~ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.…

Love, Devotion, Commitment, and Dedication John 21:15-17 (ESV) ~ “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said…

1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV) ~ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

I have observed mom’s as they take on the cares and worries of life. We know that worry is a relative term and we also know that we can allow worry to consume our lives. Knowing this, moms are going to worry about many things: their kids, their families, the bills, the household, etc. But, moms, have no fear, God is here to help.

There are times, that whatever may be going on in our lives, whether moms or dads, we need to cast our cares on God, be still, be quiet, and consider these other Scriptures:

Habakkuk 2:20 (ESV) ~ But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.

Ecclesiastes 5:1 (ESV) ~ Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.

Psalm 46:1 (ESV) ~ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

There is a seriousness in God’s admonitions. “SILENCE!” Why? We know that God is not being impolite. We also know that His intelligence is infinite! So why does God command for us to “Be still”?

Because He loves us! We can’t listen to Him when we’re talking. We can’t hear – really hear – what God is trying to tell us, if we are not listening. We need wisdom, we need peace, and only God can give us both. But, in order to receive, we must be still and know that He is God.

Our lives are filled with distractions, tricky temptations, calendars crammed full of obligations. For all these reason, even though God is speaking, we do not hear. We lose our peace and godly perspective.

Even in our busyness, even as we acknowledge life’s distractions, we are free to take a breath, relax, be still and know that God is God. We are free to turn our worries over to Him and to leave them with Him.

Let’s take another look at two verses:

1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV) ~ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Psalm 46:1 (ESV) ~ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

He is always ready to help you in times of trouble, severe pressure, tight place where you are unable to move.

We all face situations beyond our control, but we do not have to face them alone. When trouble strikes, God is there. In fact, He is always there with us, immediately available to help us when trouble arises. Not one second goes by when we must face our troubles alone or in our own strength.

When serious problems occur in our lives, the first tendency can be to panic or fear. We might become anxious, fretting over what may happen or what we are going to do. Realizing there is nothing we can do, our panic and fear might even increase.

Instead of attempting to deal with difficulties in our own strength, we need to run to God for shelter and strength. We should not speak out of doubt or unbelief, but with full faith in God’s love and care for us. He stands ready to help us through any and all of our trials.

2 Timothy 1:6-7 (ESV) ~ For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Pastor Andy Lambert

{pastorandy@cvcog.church}

Related

Love, Devotion, Commitment, and Dedication John 21:15-17 (ESV) ~ “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said…

1 Peter 1:18-20 (ESV) ~ “… knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation…

1 Corinthians 12:1-6 (ESV) ~ “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of…